The New York Jets have quarterback Aaron Rodgers back from injury and, to some, they’re a trendy pick to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Will they get there? The final answer comes in January. But one Sports Illustrated expert took a shot at figuring out how every team would fare in every game this season.
Called the “All 272,” Conor Orr projected a win or a loss for every NFL game (as there are 272 games in the regular season).
While not scientific, Orr took a shot at one of the most overwhelming exercises one will find going into the season.
So, how does he think the Jets will do.
Well, he believes the season will start with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night football. But, after that, New York goes on a winning streak, as they beat Tennessee, New England (the home opener) and Denver to move to 3-1 on the season.
The Jets follow that with a three-game losing streak, falling to Minnesota, Buffalo and Pittsburgh and dropping New York to 3-4 after seven weeks.
After that New York has four games before their bye in Week 12. In that stretch New York goes 3-1, with victories over New England, Houston and Indianapolis along with a loss to Arizona. Entering the bye, the Jets are projected to be 6-5 after 11 games.
New York has a .500 stretch to end the season, with victories over Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams and Miami and losses to Miami, Jacksonville and Buffalo.
That brings the Jets to a 9-8 record. But Orr has them missing the playoffs.
Why? Orr wrote that part of the reason was that he projects the entire AFC North will make the playoffs, with Cincinnati winning the division, while Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland earn wild card berths.
The other divisions titles are claimed by Buffalo, Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers. In fact, Orr wrote the Jets fell victim to tiebreakers that kept them out of the postseason.
Orr did add this:
“The Jets are the one team I am honestly upset not to have making it,” he wrote As I’ve said before, I think they have the potential to possess the No. 1 defense in the NFL this year.”
New York has not only failed to reach the playoffs since back-to-back trips to the AFC title game under Rex Ryan, the Jets have finished either third or fourth in the AFC East every year since 2016.
Even without Rodgers, who missed all of last season with an Achilles tendon injury, New York went 7-10 for the second straight season. Can he have enough of an impact to prove Orr’s projection wrong? Time will tell.
